by Skelbo » Wed Aug 03, 2005 3:29 pm
I recently asked my lawyer why there is such a strong bond between Cypriots and Greece (not necessarily the other way around!), parlicularly in terms of flags and football etc.
It seems that the general history education given in the schools is very much portrayed as Cyprus being, and wanting to be, part of Greece. In a nut shell, as the Cyprus story is told whenever Turkey, the British or whoever took control of Cyprus it is seen as invasion, but when the Greeks came to Cyprus it is seen as reclaimation of their island.
The Cypriots voted I think some 60 years ago to become a Greek island, like Rhodes, Crete etc but it has never happened. Some, he told me, still consider Cyprus to be in a transitional phase on its way to becomig Greek island.
That I guess gives us a decent reason why we see the strong Greek patriatism. Rightly or wrongly the feeling amongst the people is that they actually wanted to be part of Greece and not an independant island.
In terms of "Greek or Turkish Cypriots", there are quite simply people on the island with a Turkish heritage, others with a Greek heritage and others with 'normal' Cypriot heritage. They would therefore seem justified in considering themselves one or the other.
All of these points are incidental to the actual Cyprus Problem and all that it entails..... please don't ask me about that one.